Early stabilization of body fluid loss can be important in the treatment of wounds or diseases. For example, many injuries are treatable if effective hemorrhage control and operative surgical intervention are undertaken rapidly. In many situations, however, immediate access to surgical care is not available. Bleeding within the gastro intestinal (GI) tract is typically non-compressible, meaning that it cannot be treated by external compression or the application of tourniquets or topical dressings. In a large number of mostly older patients, diverticulum that form in the lower GI tract can lead to infection and bleeding. Such bleeding due to diverticulitis or other diseases can be severe, difficult to control, and may require emergent intervention. In addition to treating bleeding, locating sites of bleeding throughout the GI tract can be crucial to adequate care.
While the use of polymers in the treatment of medical conditions is known in the art, conventional materials and methods suffer from a variety of drawbacks. For example, many polymers irritate skin and/or internal tissues, and are not sufficiently biocompatible to be suitable for use inside a body cavity. Many polymers also lack suitable mechanical properties to be used inside the body; polymers that are too stiff may lead to discomfort or further injury, while polymers that are too soft may fail to provide adequate support for internal tissues. Moreover, previous approaches to locate and/or control GI bleeding require use of an endoscope and injection or cauterization techniques. These procedures are often complicated and require significant time and skill, especially in cases where bleeding is severe. Finally, the location of bleeding within the GI tract can be difficult to identify and require sophisticated imaging techniques to locate.